11 Jul 2023

The Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN) on July 10 entered into an agreement with one of the country’s leading companies, Builders World.

BUAN Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ketlhatlogile Mosepele explained that the objective of the agreement was to establish cooperation for research and knowledge-sharing to attain sustainable utilisation of irrigation technologies.

“Another objective of the MoU is to provide expanded and improved opportunities for staff and students involved in the field of agricultural water management through training and to use the resources between the two parties in advancing the development of irrigation technologies in Botswana,” he said.

He stated that the partnership would facilitate the achievement of some of the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as contribute to the government’s Reset Agenda.

Prof. Mosepele expressed hope that the agreement would lead to more collaborations beyond irrigation and water management, to other fields of agriculture and natural resources thus helping to grow expertise and knowledge.

Builders World’s Irrigation Officer, Mr Abotle Ralekwalo, said that after he graduated from BUAN in 2020, he was employed by the company and he immediately realised that the university’s Agriculture Biosystems and Engineering (ABE) department would benefit from a relationship with the irrigation unit of Builders World, and immediately negotiations ensued.

“I realised that students in BUAN could benefit a lot from the Builders World irrigation department, especially on the practical aspect of their academics, hence the collaboration to help in training students and consequently achieving a higher level of effectiveness and impact,” Ralekwalo said. Ends